


Consequences of a missing week

by AauntyPasta



Series: Missing Week [1]
Category: Blue Bloods (TV)
Genre: F/M, May/December Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-31
Updated: 2019-03-31
Packaged: 2019-12-30 03:42:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 21,266
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18307475
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AauntyPasta/pseuds/AauntyPasta
Summary: When Frank was mourning his wife, Mary, he disappeared for a week and returned as if nothing had happened. Now, 13 years later, he must face the consequences of that week, which will change the future of his family forever.





	Consequences of a missing week

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In the two months after Mary had died, Frank had felt nothing but numb. At night, he found himself still reaching out for her but his hands only found air. Her side of the bed would remain cold and empty.

He’d taken time off. 

He couldn’t cry. 

He only went about his duties as if on auto-pilot. The department shrink ordered two more weeks off. Time to be spent with his family in an effort just to feel again.

His family.

Danny had Linda and the boys. Erin had Jack and Nikki. Jamie and Joe seemed to be taking comfort in their bond as brothers that was quickly growing into a bond as friends. Although his father, Henry, knew what he was going through, Frank still felt a disconnect. So he did the only thing he felt was logical.

He crawled into a bottle.

Henry worried when he disappeared after the first Sunday dinner after Thanksgiving. The holiday had been just another reminder that Mary was gone—and never coming back. 

When Frank called the next day, he sounded VERY drunk. He also wouldn’t or maybe couldn’t tell his father where he was. Instead, he insisted that he was in a safe place and didn’t know how long he would be gone. He repeated the same story when he called the next 3 days. On the fifth day, he still didn’t sound good, but, at least, he didn’t sound drunk. 

The sixth day, he neglected to call at all. On the seventh, he showed up at church early. For having been on a bender for most of the last week, he showed up looking surprisingly put together in the same clothes he had been wearing when he left but they—and he—were clean and freshly laundered. And he smelled nice. Like he was wearing cologne but it wasn’t his normal scent. He made confession then sat with his family as if nothing had happened.

The second week of his forced leave he spent with his family. Henry got the feeling that something had happened while he was gone that forced his perspective to change. Henry could only sigh and be thankful for it—whatever it was.

Over the next years, he wondered where Frank had been, but when asked, his son would only say that he had been learning an important lesson, so Henry let the matter drop. Four years later, when Joe died, he was afraid that Frank would go on another bender, but it seemed the lesson he learned during his missing week had been learned well as he took comfort in his remaining children rather than the bottle.

The full consequences of that missing week had yet to be seen.

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Frank stepped out of the restaurant after his lunch meeting and onto the wide sidewalk followed closely by his detail, Jim. Halfway across the sidewalk on the way to the PC’s SUV, he heard a shout and Jim pushed him against the side of the vehicle. Jim hit the vehicle next to him and they felt the truck breeze past behind them and heard the thud as it made contact with someone else behind them.

She landed on the ground at Jim’s feet and he ordered Frank into the vehicle, but Frank had to know if the person the truck had hit was OK. She was looking up to the sky with a shocked expression on her face and as she struggled to get up—only to be held down by the detective—Frank realized that he recognized her.

Jim was calling for a bus, so Frank slid into his customary seat in the back of the SUV and waited there until the area was crawling with his people.

He rolled down the window to speak to Danny, his son and the detective who happened to catch this case, and who had decided to investigate the incident as an assassination attempt until he hoped to find otherwise.

Danny greeted him then they watched as the woman was carted away.

“Jim says she saved your lives,” Danny informed him. 

“How so?” Frank asked.

“She saw the truck coming and hollered but knew you couldn’t move in time,” Danny explained. “So she shoved you both out of the way. The truck swerved a little late, but it still nicked her. The medics say they have to wait until she’s examined by a doctor, but they think she’ll be all right.”

“Good,” Frank replied. He continued to watch as they loaded her in the ambulance to take her away. “Where they taking her?”

“Saint Benjamin’s is closest,” Danny replied. “And they take homeless patients.”

Frank looked at him. “She’s homeless?”

“That’s what she told them when they asked her where she lived,” Danny replied. “Do you know her?”

“She looks familiar,” Frank admitted. 

“Where from?”

“We really have to get back to the office,” Frank evaded.

“Well, I’ll let you get back to work then,” Danny said. “I know where to find you if I need anything else.”

Frank nodded and leaned back in his seat as he rolled up his window.

Little did Danny know, it was not the first time that this particular woman had saved Frank’s life. She was older of course, as was he, but she had aged well, even though she was homeless. He wondered if she had been that way since he had seen her last, sitting on the counter in her closet-sized studio apartment in Midtown near Hell’s Kitchen. Or had she been able to find her way home to South Dakota like she had planned, only return to the same boat back in New York City.

He’d met her during the missing week.

The week that he hadn’t spoken of since, not even to the shrink he spoke to on occasion when he needed to unload on someone and know they wouldn’t repeat it to anyone. That he’d only revealed in confession the day he returned to his family.

He had hoped his family might never know, but now, as Jim headed not to 1 Police Plaza, but to the closest hospital, it looked as if it might come out.

Because the last time he had seen that particular woman, he had spent the week with her. She had pulled him from his numbness and helped him to grieve for his wife and the lessons she taught him had helped him eventually grieve for Joe, too.

She’d been at the right place at the right time and Frank couldn’t help but love her for that.

“What are we doing here?” Frank asked as they pulled up to the emergency room behind St Benjamin’s Hospital.

“Just a precaution,” Jim answered. “I hit the side of the SUV pretty hard and wrenched my wrist. We just want to make sure you’re not hurt, too.” He got out and opened Frank’s door before repeating, “Just a precaution. I talked to 1 PP and Garrett and Sid are on their way.”

Frank shook off his nostalgia. “Good,” he said as he unbuckled his seat belt and got out of the SUV. “I don’t think this is necessary, but this is where they brought the woman.” He started to the door. “I want to know how and who she is.”

“That’s another reason I brought you here, sir,” Jim told him. “I knew you’d want to know.”

He stalked into the outer ER then was immediately whisked away to a private exam room. The initial check showed that he was unhurt save a few bumps and bruises, including one on his jaw.

When the doctor finally came in to release him, Frank asked about her. “She’s been released,” The doctor told him.

“Already?” Frank asked.

The man nodded. “We barely had enough time to check her vitals when Cora Levine was having her picked up in a private ambulance,” he said.

“She said she was homeless,” Frank said as he signed the release form and handed the clipboard back to the doctor.

“I don’t know what’s going on myself,” the doctor said. “She looked like she might be homeless in the torn hoodie, but that might have happened in the accident.”

“Do you know where they took her?”

“I’m afraid I don’t know that,” the doctor replied. “I couldn’t tell you if I did.”

Frank nodded and put his jacket on as the doctor handed the list of release instructions to him.

“Try to take it easy the next couple of days,” the doctor told him. “If any new pain crops up, see your doctor.”

Safely back in the SUV, Jim told him that Cora had had the woman, identified as Anna Bryant, transferred to New York-Presbyterian.

“Who is she to Ms Levine?” Frank asked.

“She’s her personal assistant,” Jim said with a glance back at his boss. “Has been for about ten years.”

“Then why would she say she’s homeless?”

“Technically, she is,” Jim replied. “The only address for her in the city of New York is a PO box.”

Frank nodded. “Do you want us to head over there?” Jim went on.

“No,” Frank replied. “My father’s good friends with Cora. I’ll have him give her a call.”

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In his mind’s eye, Frank could see the blanket tented over her head. “What are you doing here? You should be with your family…”

Abigail Baker broke into the memory when she escorted Danny in so Frank shook off the remnants of it and sat up. 

“I talked to several witnesses at the scene, dad,” Danny began. “I don’t think you were the intended target.”

“Drunk driver?” Frank asked. 

“It was definitely not an accident,” Danny shook his head. “He swerved to match the movements of the woman who pushed you and Jim out of the way. Where she had moved after pushing you guys she should have been out of the path of the truck, but it changed direction at the last second and just barely hit her.”

Frank looked surprised as Danny went on. “Turns out she’s only technically homeless.”

“Her name is Anna Bryant,” Frank broke in. “And she’s Cora Levine’s personal assistant.”

Danny shook his head. “Should have known you’d already know.”

“I didn’t know she was the intended target,” Frank pointed out.

“You said you thought knew her,” Danny said. “Where from?”

He’d asked before and Frank had evaded for the moment. Now, Frank was more prepared for the question, but still didn’t want to answer it. However, he knew his son would not drop it. “The missing week,” he replied. “A couple of months after your mom died.”

Danny nodded as he remembered how worried everyone had been while Frank was gone. He never told them about that week and, to this day, never talked about it. Danny decided to try asking one more time.

“What happened that week?”

Frank had hoped he wouldn’t get specific, but the question hung like a dark cloud over the room, threatening to rain on his family.

“I crawled into a bottle of scotch and almost didn’t come out,” Frank admitted. “I don’t know if it’s really her, but if it is, she helped me crawl out and pushed me back to my family. I knew her as Beth but that was just a nickname.”

“That’s it?”

“That’s it,” Frank said. Danny was the only one of his children that could fully understand the despair he had felt in those weeks after Mary’s death. “At least for now,” he said. 

Danny knew that was the end of it and he would say no more—at least in this setting.

“I tried to make arrangements to get in to see her but I can’t even find out where they took her…”

“New York-Presbyterian,” Frank told him.

“Thank you,” Danny said. “I’ll go talk to her now.” He turned to go then stopped. “Anything you want me to ask her?”

Frank shook his head, so Danny left him alone with his memories.

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Danny and his partner Maria Baez walked into New York-Presbyterian and stopped at the front desk. Showing their ID, the receptionist smiled. “Ms. Levine has been expecting you,” she said and waved a security officer over. “Take the officers to 2320.”

He nodded and led them to a single room in a well decorated part of the building. The room where he left them was at the end of a hall reserved for high class clients. He opened the door and waved them in.

One end of the room was entirely made up of windows. In the corner where the windows met was a hospital bed, adjusted so the occupant was laying at an incline, while her left leg was bound in a brace and propped up on a pillow. At the foot of the bed, arguing with the woman was Cora Levine.

“Danny!” Cora smiled when she saw him. “It’s been forever!” She stopped to embrace him. “How’s Henry?”

“Grandpa’s as ornery as ever,” Danny replied.

“That’s good. I was sorry to hear about Joe,” she went on. “Wonderful young man. So tragic.” She gripped his hand. “And I heard about Linda, too. I hated to see your father go through that and Mary had been sick for so long. I can’t imagine what it was like for you.”

“Thank you,” Danny said wondering if it had really been that long since he had seen the woman. “But this isn’t exactly a social call.”

“Of course,” Cora said. “You want to talk to Anna.” She turned back to the woman in the bed. “Anna, this is my dear friend Henry’s grandson, Danny Reagan.”

“I’m the detective assigned to this case,” Danny said and he turned to Maria. “This is my partner Detective Maria Baez.” Anna shook her hand and they exchanged pleasantries before Danny went on. “We started the investigation assuming that someone was trying to assassinate the police commissioner.”

“That was the police commissioner?” Anna asked with surprise.

“Oh my,” Cora put in. “Is he alright?”

“Dad’s fine,” Danny replied. “Thanks to Miss Bryant, here. The truck likely would have hit him and his security even though the driver wasn’t gunning for them.”

“Then who?” Cora asked.

Danny looked back at Anna. “Me?”

“Do you know of anyone who might have wanted to hurt you?” Maria asked.

Anna stopped to think for a minute. “I don’t know.”

“She’s the sweetest girl,” Cora said with concern. “I can’t think that anyone would want to hurt her.”

At that moment, a girl came tearing in followed closely by a boy. “MOMMY!” she squealed. “You’re OK!”

“Careful her leg!” Cora interjected as the girl leapt into Anna’s arms.

“Yes, Katie,” she told the child. “I’m fine.”

“When Sally said you were in an accident,” the boy put in. “We got worried.”

Danny had stepped back, but watched the two with interest. The little girl, Katie, reminded him of his niece, Nikki.

“I’m fine, Mason,” she repeated for the boy. She pointed to Danny and Maria. “These are the detectives that are investigating the accident. That’s Danny Reagan and Maria Baez. These are my unruly twins Katherine Capri and Mason Francis.”

Mason turned to them and smiled. “Nice to meet you,” he said as Danny froze, surprised. The kid was the spitting image of Joe at that age. Mason shook Maria’s hand and turned to Danny, who shook it off just in time to receive a handshake as well. Danny turned to the woman who followed them in.

“Sally Juneau,” she introduced. “I’m Beth’s best friend.” 

“Beth?” Danny asked.

“I had my name changed a few years ago at Cora’s suggestion,” Anna said. “Sally knows me as Anabeth O’Bryan.”

“Maybe it was someone you knew then?” Maria asked.

She looked thoughtful then shook her head. “The only person that might have had it in for me was the guy that got me fired for theft.” She paused to help Katie get off the bed and direct Sally to take them outside. “I was an orderly at a hospital in Manhattan. I made friends with one of the patients and she gave me a locket. After she died, I tried to give it to her daughter but she told me to keep it as something to remember her by.” She paused again to adjust herself in the bed. “But her husband was suffering so much after her death that he insisted I be fired for theft.”

“I had her change her name so that incident wouldn’t follow her everywhere,” Cora explained.

“Somehow I don’t think he would still be looking for revenge and definitely not of the type that leaves me dead,” Anna said.

“How old are your kids?” Danny asked. “Just curious.”

“They’ll be twelve in early July,” Anna replied. “Do you have any children, detective?”

“I’ve got two boys,” he replied. “One’s sixteen and the other is graduating in a couple weeks.”

Anna gestured to the door. “Those little snots are twins,” she said. “But Katie was born on the third in the late evening. Mason decided he wanted to wait until Independence Day to make an appearance so he waited until just after midnight to be born. They were early, but twins are always early.”

“Why don’t we let Anna get some rest,” Maria said and nodded to the door.

Danny nodded and started to follow when he had a sudden thought. Nikki’s smile. Joe’s looks. He stopped and turned back. “This might seem rude,” he began. “But where is their father?”

“I don’t know who their father is,” Anna said as she looked at her hand in embarrassment. “I knew him for about a week. He was drunk when I met him so I got him dried out and sent him back to his family. But not before he gave me them.” She gestured to the hall where he could see and hear the girl playing a piano in the waiting area across the hall. “Broken Condom. I never really caught his full name, but we helped each other out at a time when we were both in need.”

Danny breathed as he did a little math in his head. “You say you never really caught his full name,” Danny said. “What do you remember?”

She took in a deep breath as she remembered. “I named Mason with a different version of it so I wouldn’t forget.”

Danny knew before she said it. “His name was Frank.”

 

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“What was that all about?” Maria asked when they were settled in the car and headed back to the precinct.

“What was what about?” Danny asked back.

“The questions about the kids’ father,” she replied. “What does that have to do with the case?”

“It doesn’t have anything to do with the case,” Danny said with annoyance.

“Then why are you shaken?” Maria asked. “I haven’t seen you this shaken since Linda’s accident.”

“I’m not…,” Danny started then calmed his voice and started over. “I’m not shaken.”

Maria knew her partner, almost too well sometimes. She began to list the facts. “Your dad recognized this woman who has a set of twins that are twelve years old. She says the only name she remembers him telling her was Frank and those kids look an awful lot like your sister and you.” She paused but he said nothing so she went on. “And if my calculations are correct, your mom died thirteen years ago.”

Danny hit the brakes and brought the car to a sudden stop. He still said nothing even as the car behind them stopped short and started honking.

“Danny,” she said softly. “You can trust me.”

“I know,” he finally said as the car went out and around them. He shook his head and pulled into an empty parking space nearby.

“What’s going on?”

Danny gripped the steering wheel and stared ahead. He was silent for a long time and Maria was about to speak again when he finally cleared his throat.

“He was devastated when Mom died,” Danny told her. “For the first couple of months, he was just going through the motions. Then, after Thanksgiving, he took off and we didn’t see him for a week. He called Grampa, but the rest of us were in the dark.” Danny took a breath and looked at her. “He told us that dad was off drinking, but he didn’t know where. We all hoped he would be OK and when he showed up at church the next Sunday, like nothing had happened, we didn’t know what to think. He always said he just needed to figure out some things on his own. That’s all he’d ever say so we didn’t press.”

“Sounds like you just forgot about it,” Maria said.

“Whatever he learned,” Danny said. “He learned the lesson well because when Joe died, he didn’t disconnect like he had with Mom.” Danny looked back at the instrument panel of the car. “And he kept me from that same disconnect when Linda…” the lump in his throat made it impossible to go on.

Maria was quiet for a long time and Danny finally gathered himself and pulled out of the parking spot. “What are you going to tell him?” she asked finally. 

“I have no idea,” Danny replied.

 

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“Something wrong, Danny?” Henry asked.

The Reagan family was having their regular Sunday dinner, but it was unusual for Danny to be so quiet.

He looked up to find the table of people looking at them.

“Yeah,” Erin said. “You seem quieter that usual.”

“He’s been like that since Grandpa almost got hit by that truck,” Sean said as he waved his forkful of green beans in front of his father’s face.

Danny shook them off. “I’m fine,” he said. “Just got my mind on something.”

“Nothing bad, I hope,” Frank put in.

Danny couldn’t meet his father’s eyes. He still didn’t know what to tell his father about Anna and her children. “Not bad,” he said. “Just life-altering.”

“Whose life?” Henry asked.

Danny threw his napkin down. “Right now, mine,” he said as he left the room.

Standing at the island in the kitchen, he leaned forward and breathed.

“What is it?”

Danny looked at his father then turned away. He didn’t know what to say so he said nothing at all.

“Does this have anything to do with what I told you in my office the other day?”

Danny looked up but still didn’t say anything.

“Not here,” Frank said. “Calm down and we’ll talk about it tomorrow.”

Danny nodded and watched as Frank went back into the dining room. He took a few deep breaths then pasted a smile on his face for his own return to the dining room.

 

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As he did every night before he had to work, Frank hung a freshly cleaned suit complete with tie, shirt and vest on the hook next to the bathroom door. Then he went back into his closet and took out his gun box and unlocked it. Pulling the foam padding protecting the weapon out of the box, he dug underneath and pulled out two old Polaroid photos. 

The top one was of him and a woman in front of a movie theatre. He had a weird smile and he remembered the bad timing of her asking Linda to take it as she walked past to meet Danny to see the same bad movie he had just watched with the woman in the photo.

The second picture was something he was pretty sure he didn’t want his family to find. The same woman from the first picture was provocatively draped on a counter, cupboards behind her head. She was naked save for the robe that hung open and she had obviously been having sex. Although Frank often viewed the first photo, he rarely looked at the second because it took him back to the week he had spent with her. And as his life went forward around him, he wasn’t too keen on going back.

The label for a scotch bottle was in there, too, with the note she had left. He came back a week later, hoping that she had changed her mind about leaving, only to find her gone. The man who had answered the door was getting it ready for a new tenant, but gave him the letter upon learning that he was the Frank she had left it for.

That was hidden in the gun box, too. And he unfolded it to read again.

Dear Frank, she wrote. I hope you come back so Mac can give this to you. I’m headed home. I’ll wave to Teddy next time I’m at Mt. Rushmore for you. I got to thinking that I never did get your last name so I can’t pay you back so I will pay it forward instead. Next time I am in the position to, I’ll help someone in your honor. And if I ever see you again, I promise I will give you the money back with interest. Love, Anabeth (Beth).

Frank folded the note back up and put it back in the box with the Polaroids. As he went to put the label with them, he noticed something he had never seen before. On the back of the label she had drawn with pencil a picture of him, nude and sleeping. He smiled as he read the words underneath, turnabout’s fair play. It was dated December 2005.

He slid the items back into the box and the foam padding back into the box, with the gun still encased. He closed the lid and locked the box before returning it to the top shelf of his closet next to Mary’s jewelry box.

 

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Danny stood in front of the door to Anna’s hospital room and took a breath before he knocked.

“Come in!” he heard her call. When he opened the door and went in. “Detective Reagan,” she said sitting up in the bed. “What can I do for you?”

“I just have a couple more questions,” he said. “I’m just wondering why you’re homeless if you’re working for Ms. Levine.”

“Cora and I have been traveling a lot since I met her before the twins were born,” she told him. “Since she never had any children, she kind of adopted me and mine.” She fiddled with the signet ring on her right hand. “It’s not official, but she gave me this ring as a reminder.”

Danny took her hand and examined the ring for a minute before releasing it and studying her. She was a year or two older than he was if he was any judge and he usually was. She was also pretty and Danny imagined she might have been even more so thirteen years ago.

“Detective?” she asked. 

Danny shook his head to shake it off. “I’m a bit curious about your kids’ father,” he said. “I know it’s probably none of my business and you can tell me to buzz off…”

Anna shook her head. “You’re right, it probably is,” she said. “But something is bothering you about it. What do you want to know?”

“I don’t even know where to start,” Danny said. He pulled a photo out of his inside jacket pocket. “Is this him?”

She took the photo and looked at it then pressed her lips between her teeth. “I have a couple Polaroids of him,” she said. “I don’t let the kids see them for fear they’d start seeing him in every man with a mustache like this.” She looked up at Danny. “But I look at it every once in awhile when I start to forget what he looked like.” She handed him the photo back with a nod. “That’s him.”

Danny didn’t even know what to say. “I know his name is Frank,” she went on. “But otherwise…”

Danny looked down at the photo. It was taken the Christmas after they had lost their mother. That had been during a short period when he toyed with wearing a goatee, but he shaved the beard off after the New Year started, keeping the familiar old mustache. He was standing in front of the tree with the brown sweater he loved to wear on. Erin had given it to him that year only to find she had bought him a size that was far too big on him. Thankfully, it had shrunk the first time he washed it.

“His name is Frank Reagan,” Danny said. “And he’s my father.”

Anna looked at him in surprise then turned away. “How did you figure…?” she couldn’t finish as surprised as she was.

“Your kids,” he said. “They remind me of my brother, Joe and my sister, Erin.”

“All these years,” she said with a shake of her head.

“What happened that week?”

“Long story,” she said. “Look, I’m having surgery in the morning. They’re fixing my knee injury.” She looked at him. “But if you want to know, I’ll tell you. He never did?”

“He never talks about that week at all,” he said.

“So you want to hear it from me?”

Danny grabbed a chair and sat down. “That’s why I’m here.”

She bit her lip and considered. If he wanted her to stop, he’d tell her then, but as she thought about what parts to tell him and what he—and his father—would want her to leave out, she decided he deserved to know.

“He was so drunk,” she said. “I didn’t even know if he would be able to walk…”

 

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Mac’s Place was the bar that Anabeth, or Beth as her friends called her, lived over. The apartment was tiny, not much bigger than the closet her parents had hid her Christmas presents in when she was a child. A small wall directly next to the door created an entrance where she could hang her coat and take off her shoes. On the other side of the door was a small kitchen area complete with upper cupboards. There ran a short counter then the sink, stove and fridge in a row. 

Directly in front of the door, was the bed. Full sized and always unmade, the couch served as a foot board. Facing the bed and couch was a dresser and TV but not a new flat-screen. It was a tube TV that needed a tin foil antenna to get the local stations with the help of a digital tuner box.

That wall and the wall on the other side of the bed were both brick and had two windows each. The most unusual thing about the place was the claw-footed bathtub in the corner on the other side of a door that led to a tiny 2 piece half bath. A curtain rod surrounded the apartment side of the tub, and the glass in the window was covered with some film that let her look out but not let people see in.

It was clean and tiny, but it was hers and she loved it… until she lost her job and couldn’t afford the rent any longer. 

Mac told her she could stay for one last week then she had to go… if she would come down and get a drunken customer out of the bar.

“He’s a real downer,” he told her as he gestured to a table in the back of the bar. “I don’t care what you do with him, just get him out,” he’d insisted.

So she went over. “Hey mister,” she said, then shook him before jumping back when he shot up.

“I’m not leaving until I get another bottle!” he demanded.

“You mean this?” she asked with her hand on the lid of the opened but full bottle.

He looked back and forth between the woman and the bottle. “Oh,” he said then started to lay his head back on the table. 

She stopped him with a hand on his forehead before it hit the table. “Please don’t,” she said. “Let me take you home.”

The plaid shirt and brown slacks looked like they had been slept in, and they probably had. There was a matching brown suit jacket hanging from the back of the chair. Normally, she wouldn’t do what she was about to do, especially with only a week left in her apartment, no food in her fridge and not a dime to her name. Her car had been impounded when she couldn’t pay a parking ticket and she had nowhere else to go. Neither, it seemed, did he.

So she took him up to her apartment and put him on the couch. The bottle, some kind of scotch, she set on the coffee table in front of it and covered him with the blanket on the back of it. “You’re going in the morning,” she warned him and changed into her night shirt before climbing into bed.

She kept the room cool to save money and because she slept better that way, so when something began to warm her, she woke and fell out of bed upon realizing that the stranger had crawled under the covers with her.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing?” she asked him as she gave him a poke.

“I’m cold,” he said as he snuggled deep into the covers.

“Not in my bed, mister,” she ordered. “OUT!”

In response, he dug in deeper. He was bigger than her. He had to be at least 6 foot four. His bushy mustache reminded her of a Groucho mask she’d had as a child. 

He’d left the blanket she’d tucked around him on the couch so she retrieved it and crawled back into her bed and covered herself with that blanket.

She woke the next morning to him poking her in the back with a finger. “Where’s my scotch?” he demanded.

“On the table,” she said then covered her head when she realized he was clad only in his boxer shorts.

“Get up and have a drink with me,” he said.

“Not until my alarm goes off,” she said.

“That alarm?” he pointed to the clock on the dresser next to the TV. “It went off half an hour ago.”

“IT WHAT!”

“Went off already,” he said and he opened the booze he held and took a swig.

She looked at the clock to see that she only had an hour before her interview. “There went the bath,” she muttered as she leapt from the bed and grabbed her suit before she realized she would have to change in front of this stranger. “What’s your name?”

“Frank,” he said then burped loudly.

“Frank what?” she said as she pulled the skirt on under her nightshirt.

“Frank the widower,” he replied.

“I’m sorry to hear that,” she pulled off her night gown just in time to see him turn around. She squeaked and covered her bare breasts. “Turn around!”

“Why?”

“Because I need to change my clothes for a job interview and I’d really rather not flash my boobs to someone I don’t know,” she replied.

“They’re beautiful breasts,” he said then turned back to take a swig of his bottle. Then he began mumbling. “You should get a job as a stripper. Perfectly respectable being a stripper. Course I’d shoot my daughter if she ever became a stripper…granddaughter, too…” he trailed off

She pulled a clean bra from her bedside drawer as he mumbled and faced away from him—and the reflection on the TV tube, to put it and the rest of her suit on.

She grabbed her coat and stood in front of him, debating on whether or not to make him go. She had no money and only a couple cans of condensed soup in her cupboard so she couldn’t feed him.

“You can’t stay here,” she said. “I can’t feed you. I have no money.”

“I don’t need food,” he replied. “Jus’ this.” He held up the half empty bottle. Then embraced it as if it were a child. “Lovely wonderful scotch.”

“Please be gone when I get back,” she said as she put her coat on.

She headed to the door only to be stopped when he made her an offer. “I’ll order a pizza if you let me stay a few days,” he said as he struggled to get up then gave up. “Or whatever you want.”

She went back to stand in front of him. “I’m not a prostitute,” she said. “I will not have sex with you for payment.”

“I just want to be with my bottle,” he said as he grabbed the bottle. “Just let me forget.”

She sighed. “Tell you what,” she said. “You can stay for now. We’ll talk about it when I get back.” She pulled a pair of heels on her feet as she opened the door. “Just don’t drink yourself to death. I need my deposit back.”

When she got back several hours later, Frank was still there. He had gotten dressed, but was curled up in her bed on top of the covers. Two more bottles sat on the table.

“They’re multiplying,” she said as she took her shoes off and dropped them by the door. She hung her coat on the hook next to his suit jacket and went over to the bed to poke him awake. “Frank,” she whispered in his ear.

“Hmmm?”

“WAKE UP!”

He put a pillow over his head. “Not so loud!”

“Get up,” she said. “You’re going to talk to me. Tell me about what’s got you doing this to yourself.”

“Not yet,” he said. 

“Then when?”

“Tomorrow,” he replied. “Ask me again tomorrow.”

“What about food?”

“What about it?”

“You need food or all that alcohol you’re ingesting will burn a hole in your stomach,” she told him.

He pulled a money clip full of money from his pocket and threw it down on the bed next to her.

“I can’t take all this,” she said.

“Then take what you need to buy some food and leave the rest,” he told her.

She looked at the cash, then him. Finally, she decided to follow his instructions. “I’m taking a fifty,” she said. “I’ll go buy some pizza after I go to the bodega on the corner for some groceries,” she told him and pressed the rest of the money back into his hand. “You can count it if you want.”

“Whatever,” he said. “Just let me die.”

“I’m hoping that’s just an exaggeration,” she said as she put on a pair of battered boots. “I do need my deposit remember.”

He waved her off and she grabbed her coat and left. “Why I pick up strays is beyond me,” she mumbled as she secured the bill in her pocket.

When she came back, bag of groceries in one hand and boxed pizza in the other, he was asleep on the couch. He looked like he had been getting undressed but made it no further than unbuttoning his shirt. 

Quietly, she put down the pizza and the groceries on the tiny counter space and grabbed her Polaroid camera and snapped a picture of him. He woke at the sound. “Wha was that?” he asked.

She held up the camera and pulled the picture from the front. “You just looked so peaceful,” she said. She dropped the picture on the table next to the bottles that were still sitting there.

“Oh,” he said.

“You hungry?”

He stretched but nodded so she moved the pizza box to the table and opened it. “Bon appetite.”

He leaned forward and grabbed a piece of the pizza and took a bite. “Hope you like mushrooms and sausage,” she commented as she sat down on the couch next to him and pulled her boots off before throwing them in the direction of the door. Then she took a slice and began to eat.

She picked a mushroom off the pizza and popped it in her mouth. “You lose her recently?” she asked.

“Who?”

“Your wife.”

“Who told you my wife died?”

“You did. You said you were a widower.”

“When?”

“This morning. You said you were ‘Frank the widower’,” she said.

“I did?”

“You did.”

He finished the slice and threw the crust down in the box. “What’s your name?” He burped. “Seeing as how I’ve seen your breasts.”

“Beth,” she told him as she blushed.

He took another slice of the pizza. “When did she die?” she asked.

He took a bite, then a swig from one of the bottles. “A couple of months ago.” As he started to set the bottle back down on the table, he looked at the picture she had taken. “I do look peaceful.” He headed the bottle in her direction. “Want some?”

Beth took the bottle and took a swig then coughed. “Not a drinker?” he asked.

“Smooth,” she rasped and coughed again then took another drink. She shook her head as it began to buzz. “I don’t suppose you called your family.”

“I called my father,” Frank admitted as he finished off the second piece and threw the crust in the box. He took back the bottle and took a swig of the scotch. “This morning.”

“Is he going to come get you?”

Frank shook his head.

Angrily, Beth took the bottle back and took a good swig. She coughed and handed it back.

“Now what are you doing?”

“Having a drink,” she said. The room began spinning.

“Not so fast,” he said. “You’ll overdo it.”

“Does it make you feel better to be drunk?” she asked. “To get so drunk you can’t walk. Does it help at all?”

“Yes,” he replied harshly.

“Then let me at it,” she said. “My life sucks right now.” She ticked her problems off on one hand. “I lost my job, I have no money and my car got towed. When the lease runs out on this place, I’m on the street.” She took the bottle and took another swig. “I would love to forget.”

Frank took the bottle back and replaced the lid. “Stop.”

“I’m drunk already, aren’t I?”

He nodded and the room spun faster. “I’m going to bed,” she said and crawled over the back of the couch and under the blankets. “Wake me when it’s over.”

When she woke the next morning, it was to a retching noise that made her want to puke. When it stopped, Frank came out of the half bath and collapsed next to her on the bed. Beth moved to see if he was OK, only to have her head start throbbing. 

“You OK?” she asked him as she held her head.

“I’m dying,” Frank moaned.

Beth put her head on his bare chest to check his heart rate then opened her eyes to find that he was clad only in his boxers once again. “Put some clothes on,” she ordered as she pulled back.

“I can’t,” he said. “I’m dying.”

“Then cover up,” she checked her own state of dress to find she was wearing the same skirt and blouse she had been wearing the day before. “Oh good,” she breathed in relief before throwing the blankets over his semi-nude form.

She went to the fridge and got the filter pitcher out and poured herself a glass of water. As she did, she noticed that he had jammed the pizza box in the bottom of the appliance. She drank the water down and glanced back at him as she did then refilled it and poured him one as well.

She placed the cold glass on his chest and ordered, “Drink.”

He took a swig then made a face. “This is water.”

“I will help with the hangover more than the hair of the dog,” Beth replied with a gesture to the scotch bottles.

“Don’t suppose you have any Tylenol to go with it, do you?”

“Try in there,” she said as she tapped on the bedside table on that side of the bed and stood slowly to fill her glass again.

Frank dug through the drawer and found some packets of the drug… and something else.

“Condoms?” he asked. “I thought you weren’t that kind of girl?”

“They’re from the guy who lived here before,” she told him. 

“You sure these are Tylenol?” he asked as he examined the package. 

She took it from him and looked it over. “That’s what it says. I took a packet the other day,” she said. “They’re Tylenol.”

“How do you know?”

“Because they didn’t do any good on my headache.”

“I think I’ll have the hair of the dog,” he said. “Thank you very much.”

She threw the unopened bottle down on the bed next to him. “Have at it,” she said. “But if you die from alcohol poisoning, I’m going to drag you in the hall.”

“I know, I know,” he said as he opened the bottle. “Your deposit.”

“I need it to get home,” she said.

He took a swig from the bottle and replaced the lid. “Where’s home?”

“South Dakota,” Beth replied. “Rapid City.”

“That anywhere near Mt Rushmore?”

“Less than 25 miles,” Beth replied as she grabbed her head. She dug in a bin near the bathtub. “I’ve got to change.”

“Why bother?”

“Because if I don’t have a job in the next four days, I’m out on my ass,” she replied.

He watched her dig then covered his head with a pillow. “Wouldn’t want that. It’s such a nice ass.”

Beth stood up quickly and gave him a look that would have put him in the grave if looks could kill. She pulled some appropriate clothes out of the bin and changed into them with one eye on him to make sure he wasn’t peeking. Either he wasn’t, or he was finding a way to do it without her seeing.

She went out in search of employment for the second day in a row but struck out. As she unlocked her door, she hoped for him to be either sober or gone. Neither hope was granted.

He was passed out on the couch with an empty bottle on the floor next to him. She sighed and fixed them some spaghetti before waking him. She set the plate down on the table with a glass of water. Then she handed him a bottle of Tylenol.

Beth curled up on the other end of the couch to eat her meal.

“TV work?” Frank asked.

“Nope,” she said. “Blew up last week.”

“Should have put that on your poor me list,” he said.

Beth only gave him a dirty look. “Did you call your family?”

“I spoke to my father this morning after you left,” Frank told her. “Do you speak to your family?”

“I stop at the library to email them,” she said. “I can’t afford the long distance.”

Day three of the Frank occupation, Beth woke with a horrid smell to find that Frank had fallen asleep on the bed with his feet toward the head. She woke him with a foot to the head. 

“What are you doing?” he asked.

“Your head is at the wrong end.”

“Who cares?”

“I do,” Beth said and shoved his head with her foot again. “I can smell your feet. You need a bath.”

“I’m fine,” he snapped.

“No you’re not,” she said. “You’re drunk. I have to do laundry today. That includes the blankets and sheets from the bed.” She jerked at the blankets. “I don’t want a person who hasn’t had a bath in however long to lie between my sheets.” She stopped and winced as he began to laugh as only a drunk man could, by falling off the bed. “That didn’t sound right.”

“OK, OK,” he relented. “I’ll take a bath while you’re doing the laundry.”

She gathered the laundry into her dirty laundry bin then lined the bottles up on the coffee table. “There’s a shower in the laundry room, so I’ll have a shower while I’m down there,” she told him. “When the laundry gets done, I’ll bring it back up and drop it off before I go out looking again.” 

The day passed the same way as the rest of the week had, but it seemed hump day was a bad day to look for a job. She was not surprised to find a fifth bottle on the line of empties on the coffee table. She reheated the cold pizza for dinner and woke him up to give him the last of it. Frank ate it and drank a full glass of water.

“I tastes better going down,” he commented as he chewed.

Beth finished her pizza and stared at him until he finished his and looked up at her. “What?”

“Tell me about your family,” she said.

“What are you a shrink?”

Beth rolled her eyes. “I just want to know about your family,” she said. “How many kids, what are their names, that kind of stuff.”

“I’m too tired tonight,” he said. “Ask me tomorrow.”

“You’re too drunk tonight,” she corrected and got up. “Don’t look I’m changing.”

She put on her clean nightgown and crawled into the bed she had made when she dropped the laundry off that day. “Sleep on the couch.”

“I took a bath,” he said.

“I don’t want a drunk between my sheets either,” she said. “Besides you didn’t shave. Or are you growing a beard on purpose?”

“Fine,” Frank said.

“Fine,” Beth said only louder.

He grumbled and made himself at home on the couch.

When she woke on day four of the Frank occupation, she didn’t bother to wake him although she did check his breathing.

She had another interview today, so she wore her heels and suit out, knowing that today was her last chance. If she struck out today, she would be forced to give up and go home. That damn theft accusation hung over her head like a pariah. Because of it, no one wanted to give her a chance.

After no luck and tears threatening to fall, she got home very late and unlocked her door hoping once again that he was either sober or gone. She had no luck there either.

Seeing a sixth bottle in line, this one not quite empty, she blew up. “You son of a bitch!” she screamed, shocking him from his drunken stupor.

He looked up at her in shock. “You keep drinking like this, you will drink yourself to death.” She threw the bottle against the brick wall where it shattered and fell to the floor like confetti. “You call your dad every day so your family won’t worry, then you drink yourself to a stupor. Well, I don’t want to watch anymore!” She pointed to the door. “When I wake up in the morning you better be either sober and ready to talk or gone because I’m done.”

Frank watched in shock as she pulled her nightgown over her clothes and undressed in it with her back to him. Then she crawled into bed and pulled the covers up over her head.

She woke the next morning to the smell of coffee brewing. She peeked out to see Frank making breakfast. He was clean and freshly shaved, his facial hair trimmed into a tidy goatee, and his hair was damp.

“You take another bath?” she asked.

He looked back at her. “No, I went down to the laundry and got a shower while I was washing my clothes.”

He brought a plate with scrambled eggs and bacon and a cup of coffee to her. “Uh, thank you,” she said in surprise.

“You going out again?” Frank asked.

“Worst day to look for a job is Friday,” she said as she began to eat. “I’m cleaning house today.”

“Let me help,” he said. “You’ll get done quicker then we can have that talk you’ve been wanting.” He gestured to where the broken bottle had landed. “I got started by cleaning up the broken bottle.”

She smiled then looked at him. “No more scotch?”

“No more scotch,” Frank confirmed.

She took a sip of the coffee. “This needs sugar,” she said. “And cream.”

He retrieved the items she requested and she added them to the coffee before she sat back against the wall to finish her breakfast. He joined her and told her about his children and his father, but still could not talk about his wife.

As they cleaned, they talked about South Dakota and that Theodore Roosevelt was his favorite president. “My favorite president in on Rushmore, too,” Beth said.

“Let me guess,” Frank said. “Lincoln.”

She smiled. “Good guess.”

It was lunchtime when they finished, so Frank took her to lunch and a movie.

As they walked out of the theatre, he wrapped the hoodie she had loaned him around himself to hold off the chill of the December morning and made a face. “That was bad.”

“You hated it too, huh,” she replied. “That was very bad.” She suddenly handed the Polaroid camera she had been hiding in her coat to a blonde woman. “Take our picture.”

The woman looked up at Frank in surprise and he shook his head ever so slightly. She took a picture of the two and handed the camera back. Beth pulled the picture from the front of the camera. “One more?” The woman obliged and Beth thanked her.

“No problem,” she said.

Beth was so preoccupied with the camera and pictures that she almost missed Frank whisper to the woman, “Don’t say anything… please.”

“Why would I say anything?” the woman replied. “I don’t know you from Adam.” She winked and walked away without looking back.

“What was that about?” Beth asked and they started walking away.

“I thought I knew her,” Frank said as he turned to watch her meet up with someone before glancing at Frank behind his back as they went into the theatre. “Why’d you have her take two?”

“One for you to keep,” Beth said and she tucked it in the inside pocket of his suit jacket.

They laughed about the bad movie as they made their way back to her apartment. He ordered dinner and a bottle of wine from a Chinese restaurant down the street and they sat on the couch to eat it. The wine gave her a buzz, but after four days solid being drunk, Frank wasn’t affected at all.

“I’ll be going home Monday morning,” she told him.

“Back to Rapid City, South Dakota,” Frank said and she nodded.

She watched as he finished his food. “Tell me about her,” she asked quietly.

He sat back in the couch and closed his eyes. “She was the love of my life,” he said when he opened them. “The mother of my children and there for me every day.” He looked over at her. “Until she wasn’t.”

He closed his eyes and let the tears flow so she moved over to him and pulled his head on her shoulder and put her arms around him. Then, she just let him cry until he had no tears left.

Finally, he lifted his head and looked at her. “I think you are ready to face your family now,” she told him as she held his face in her hands.

“Not just yet,” he said. She looked at him, bewildered until he leaned forward and kissed her.

 

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Anna stopped there. “We sat up talking most of that night and just kind of fell asleep curled up on the couch,” she lied to Danny. “The next morning, things just kind of happened.” But in her mind, she remembered what had really happened.

 

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She breathed in quickly as he deepened the kiss, running his hands up her hips to pull her shirt from the waistband of the skirt she wore. His hands explored her smooth skin as they wandered forever upward. He suddenly pulled away and his hands tugged at the hem of her shirt, pulling it upward until he brought it over her head. He tossed it aside and pulled her to her feet where she pulled at his buttons and opened his shirt.

She untucked his shirt and slid it down his shoulders as his fingers found the closure to her bra. She pressed her breasts against his chest and smiled as the smattering of hair there tickled her nipples and he kissed his way down her neck.

They parted long enough to dispose of the rest of their clothes and meet at the edge of the bed. Beth lay back on the bed and Frank started to settle between her legs when she stopped him. “The condoms,” she reminded him.

He took one out and put it on before sliding into her warmth. She threw her head back and moaned as he moved inside her, slow at first, then steadily going faster. She cried out in pleasure and wrapped her legs around his waist.

He evened out his rhythm until she cried out again and he felt like he was going to explode. When he did, he thrust a couple more times and pulled out, removing the condom and depositing it in the trash next to the powder room door as Beth unwrapped her legs from around his waist to let him roll over to lie beside her. She moved over and put her head on his shoulder. He threw a blanket over them.

“I never thought we’d be ending the week this way,” she told him as she ran her fingers through the dusting of the graying hair on his chest.

“Me either,” Frank said drowsily. “Get some sleep. We’ll likely have another go in the morning.”

Beth lifted her head to look at him. “Are you serious?” she asked.

He opened his eyes a slit and looked down at her. “Maybe,” he replied with a light smile. “Go to sleep.”

Frank woke with an erection and they did indeed ‘have another go,’ but when Frank pulled out, something didn’t feel right.

He pulled the condom off and looked at it in horror. It had broke.

“You’re not going to like this,” he said.

She took a breath and stretched, arching her back, causing her breasts to thrust upward. “Don’t tell me you’re ready to go again already,” she joked with her eyes closed.

“No, look,” he said.

She opened her eyes and looked over to see what was wrong. “It broke,” he said.

She sat up quickly. “What do you mean it broke!”

“How old are the condoms?”

She dug in the drawer until she found the box. “The expiration is six months away,” she said.

He lay back and moaned. “The last time a condom broke we ended up with Jamie,” he said.

“There’s nothing we can do about in now,” she said in defeat then took it and tossed it in the trash with the other one. “Next time we should double bag… just in case.”

“You really want to do it again?”

She blushed and pulled the blanket up over her head. Frank joined her under the covers.

“What are you doing here?” she asked gently. “You should be with your family.”

“Right now,” he said. “I want to be with you. Tomorrow will take care of itself.”

They spent the day in bed, talking, eating leftovers, sharing a bath and enjoying each other’s company. The next morning, Frank got dressed early as Beth watched clad only in her robe from a seat on the counter. He kissed her as she sat perched there.

He opened the robe exposing her breasts and kissed her there lightly. She wrapped her legs around him to pull him close then reached for the closure on his slacks.

“I want to feel you inside me one more time,” she whispered in his ear as he nibbled at her neck.

He obliged her, neglecting to even try to protect themselves.

When they finished, her leaned against her, breathless. “I could very easily fall in love with you,” he whispered to her before he pulled away and buttoned his pants and shirt. He turned to go and saw the Polaroid camera on the bedside table. He stopped and looked back at her.

She sat with her back pressed up in the corner and her foot draped on the sink. Her robe hung open exposing her entire body. Frank found the pose provocative so he scooped the camera up and snapped a picture.

“What the hell was that for?” she asked as she lifted her head and dropped her foot from the sink’s edge.

“Me,” he replied as he pulled the undeveloped snapshot from the camera. “To remember you by.” He slid the picture in his inside jacket pocket with the other one and put the camera back down on top of the rest of the pictures they had taken during the last week. She pulled her robe closed and tied it.

Then, he was gone. The apartment was almost too quiet without him.

 

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“How many times did you…?” Danny asked as he waved his hands in circles indicating what he meant then stopped and rubbed his eyes. “Maybe I don’t want to know.”

Although Anna remembered everything, she hadn’t told him the truth, concerned it might make him look differently at his father. She said nothing about the second Polaroid either. “It doesn’t really matter,” she said. “All you need to know is once when the condom broke and once when we got caught up and forgot.”

Danny shook his head. “He showed up at church that morning,” Danny remembered. “He was early so he did confession. Otherwise, he acted like everything was normal.” He paused. “And he was acting like he was feeling better. But Linda was acting funny.”

“Who’s Linda?”

Danny looked at his feet “My wife,” he said. “She died in a helicopter crash last year.”

“I’m sorry to hear that,” Anna replied.

He looked at her. “How did Dad help you?”

“He gave me all the money he had left on him,” she said. “He insisted it was a loan, but I never did catch his last name so I could pay it back. I left a note with Mac, but I don’t know if he ever came back.” She paused to sigh. “I used that money to get my car out of impound and start home. That stupid car broke down in the middle of the street in Chicago.” She stopped to smile. “It just so happened that a limo was behind me.”

“Let me guess,” Danny interjected. “It belonged to Cora.”

“That’s right,” she replied. “She took me home and took me under her wing. When the kids were born—three weeks early, I made her their Godmother.” She paused. “When they were old enough to travel, we did. Cora took us all over the world with her and delighted in each new discovery they made in each new country.” She grabbed her phone and flipped through the pictures until she found one she wanted. “Katie took her first steps under the Eiffel Tower.” She showed him a picture Cora had snapped of the event.

“She’s beautiful,” Danny said and handed the phone back.

“Mason had started walking the week before in Barcelona, but we didn’t get any pictures of it.”

“That’s too bad,” Danny said. He looked back up at her with a tight smile. “What time do you go in for your surgery?”

“They scheduled it for eleven,” she replied.

“My partner and I have a couple more interviews…,” he began as his phone began to ring and he pulled it out. “Speak of the devil.” He answered the phone. “Yeah? Sure I can meet you. Now? OK, where? That private, huh? OK, I’ll see you at your place in 15.” He hung up and looked at Anna. “I’ve got to go,” he told her. “But I’ll get my Dad over in the morning before your surgery.”

“What are you going to tell him?”

He shook his head. “Don’t know yet.”

“You going to tell him about the kids?”

“That’s your job,” he said as pointed at her.

“I know,” she said. “I just wanted to make sure you weren’t going to.”

 

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Detective Maria Baez opened her car door and took the hand of the attendant as he smiled and helped her from the car. He escorted her to the open door where a man waited. 

“Eric Willis,” he introduced himself. “Aunt Cora told me you were coming.”

“Nice to meet you,” Maria said as she shook his hand. “I’ve never had an attendant greet me at a private residence before.”

“She had to find him some place,” Eric said as he led her into the house. “He lost his job and couldn’t pay his kids tuition. They’re friends of the twins and she would do anything for them.”

“She must be very fond of them,” Maria commented.

“They’re almost like her own grandchildren,” he told her. “She’s known them since the days they were born.” He gestured ahead. “Cora is in the study. I’ll bring some tea—or would you prefer coffee? And make sure you are not disturbed.”

“Tea would be fine,” Maria replied as Eric opened the double doors. 

Cora sat in a big leather chair near a big wood desk. She stood to greet Maria and directed her to a seat on the matching couch. They exchanged pleasantries until Eric brought the tea and left the room, closing the doors behind him. Cora poured the tea and added a spoonful of sugar to her own.

“Now Detective… Baez was it?” Cora asked.

“That’s right,” Maria replied as she added sugar and a little milk to her own cup.

“What is it that you need to know?”

“I know we already asked about this the other day at the hospital,” Maria began. “But I thought a little time might jar a memory or something. Do you know anyone that might want to hurt your assistant?” 

“Anna is a great girl,” Cora said. “I can’t think of any one at all who would hurt her.”

“What was she doing in front of that restaurant?”

“I sent her for my lunch,” Cora answered. “She went after she finished her workout.”

Maria nodded and opened her mouth to ask another question when Cora held up her hand to stop her. “There’s something I need to tell you that might be relevant to your case,” she said. “I’m dying.”

“I’m sorry to hear that, Ms. Levine,” Maria said sincerely. “How long have you known?”

“Since last year,” she replied. “I found out when we were vacationing in Hawaii. Recuperating from a disastrous trip to Tahiti. I canceled all my trips and we came back to New York.”

“Are you leaving anything to Miss Bryant that might make her a target for someone?”

“I had a will and I was leaving most of my fortune to her, but when I found out I was dying, I changed tactics.” Cora told Maria. “Now, I’m leaving very few assets.” She sat straight and looked Maria in the eye. “I have set up trusts for everyone I want to have a chunk of my estate. My nephew and his son, the gardener, the butler and housekeeper, cook, and Louis the car attendant. They are all getting sizable trusts.” She paused to take a sip of her tea. “But the bulk of my estate has already been signed over to Anna.”

“Signed over to her?” Maria asked.

Cora nodded. “She doesn’t know.” She shook her head. “She doesn’t even know that I’m sick.” Another sip of her tea. “I’ve created a sizable trust for myself, as well, to pay for anything I need between now and then, but as soon as I’m gone, it will sit for six months to pay any outstanding bills concerning my funeral and other final expenses. The rest will be transferred to her automatically at that time.”

“What would happen if she predeceased you?”

“It would go to her children,” Cora said. “No one knows this part but my lawyer and me.” She looked at Maria. “And now you.”

“I won’t say anything,” Maria said. “What about the children? What happens to them if their mother dies?”

“Eric takes custody unless or until we find their father,” she replied. “She always tells me she met him here in New York.”

“Is it OK if I share this with my partner?” Maria asked, her head spinning as she thought about the ramifications of the events of the last few days on Danny’s family, especially the discussion she had had with Danny in the car on Friday.

“Danny Reagan?” Cora asked and Maria nodded. “If he is anything like his father and grandfather, then I know I can trust him with this information.”

“Who would have known where she was going?” Maria asked as she finished her tea.

“Many people,” Cora replied. “Eric, Bert—that’s Eric’s son—Louis. Everyone here at the house knew of her exercise schedule. The people at the restaurant knew she would be coming, too.”

Maria nodded. “Thanks for your time, Ms. Levine,” she said. “I think I’ve got everything but I’ll call if I need anything else.”

 

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“You’re kidding,” Danny said. “All of it?”

“Every dime.”

“And she doesn’t know?”

“Not yet,” Maria replied. “What did she tell you?”

“Dad went on a bender,” Danny told her as he paced the room. “She pulled him out of it. They had sex and the condom broke.”

“Stop!” she said. “I don’t even want to…” she shook her head.

“Imagine how I feel?” Danny said. “She might be a couple years older than me, but that’s it.”

“Was she in love with him?”

Danny stopped to look at her. “I don’t know! I’m not a mind reader,” he said. “Why would you think that?”

“Because she didn’t seem the type to sleep around,” Maria replied. “I mean, she waited until he was sober to do the deed…” Danny winced. “There might have been something there for her emotionally.”

“Then why didn’t she ever get his last name?” Danny asked.

“I can’t answer that,” Maria said. “Maybe your dad can.”

“Now I’ve got to tell my dad about all this,” he said as he waved his hands in frustration. “I’m just glad she said she would tell him about those kids.”

“Can we prove they’re his?”

“You mean with a DNA test?”

Maria nodded. “No,” Danny replied. “Not yet.”

“I’ve been suspecting Eric Willis since Cora told me he would gain custody of them if anything happens to their mother,” Maria said. “And he knew she would be at the restaurant. If you can prove the identity of their real father, maybe we can get him to incriminate himself.”

“So you want me to announce to the world and the press that the PC has two illegitimate children he didn’t know about?” he asked. “Before we can even tell the family?”

“It doesn’t have to go public,” Maria said. “Just to our suspect and a select few.”

“I hope part of that select few is the PC,” Danny replied.

“Of course,” she replied. “And Detectives Baker and Nuciforo.”

“What’s your plan?”

 

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Danny stalked into his father’s outer office to find that Detective Baker was not at her desk, which could only mean that she was in the main office, so he let himself in.

“Dad, we need to talk,” Danny said before any of the four people in Frank’s office could say a word.

“Danny?” Frank said. “What is this?”

“Sorry to interrupt. I see you’re busy,” Danny said. “It can wait.” He gestured to the conference room and to the door that went to Frank’s private office. “I’ll wait for you in the inner sanctum.”

Sid, Abigail and Garrett looked at each other, knowing what that meant. Danny wanted to talk to his father in a more private setting. Danny marched through the conference room and disappeared behind the door to Frank’s tiny and very private office.

The three retreated from the room as Frank went to join his son.

“What’s going on?” Frank asked as he sat behind his desk.

Danny pulled out his phone and went to the photo he had taken of Anna before leaving the hospital the night before. “Is this Beth?” Frank looked at the photograph. “She goes by the name Anna.”

Frank pursed his lips. “That’s her,” he said finally.

“I told her you want to meet her,” Danny said. “She did, after all, save your life.”

Frank nodded and handed the phone back to his son. Danny went on. “She goes in at 11 for surgery to have her knee fixed,” he said. “Torn ACL from the accident. She hopes to see you before then.”

Frank nodded. “You have any more information about her case?”

“We’ve got a person of interest,” Danny said. “Eric Willis. But we want to keep the cards close to the vest for now.”

Frank nodded again and picked up the phone and dialed Baker’s extension. “Baker, could you have my detail ready in 10?” When she answered in the affirmative, he thanked her and hung up the phone. “Will I see you there?” he asked his son.

Danny nodded. “I just have to call and check in with my partner,” he replied as he held up his phone. Frank nodded and left him to it.

When the door closed all the way, Danny grabbed the phone on his father’s desk and dialed Baker’s number again. When Baker answered, she was surprised to hear Danny’s voice. “When dad is gone,” he told her. “Come into his private office. I need to tell you some things that Dad doesn’t know yet.”

“What kind of things?” Baker asked. 

“I’ll tell you when you get in here,” Danny said. “Just know that he’ll be fully briefed before the day is out.”

“Copy that,” Baker replied.

Danny hung up and dialed Jim’s cell. He asked the man to take his time on the way to the hospital and that he would find out why when they got there. He hung up and paced as he waited for his father’s PA.

Just under ten minutes later, Baker joined him. Danny waved her to a chair and sat down next to her and told her everything that he knew about Anna and the attempted murder case.

“So she thinks the commissioner is the father of her twins?” Baker asked when he was done.

“I’ve met them,” Danny said. “They’re like little carbon copies of him.” He rubbed the back of his neck.

“Why are you telling me this?” Baker asked him. “Why aren’t you telling him?”

“She’s going to tell him,” Danny replied. “At the hospital.” He detailed the plan Maria and he had come up with.

“Do you think he will agree?” Baker asked.

“You know how important family is to my dad,” Danny replied.

“How are you doing with this?”

Danny had half expected the question to be posed sooner or later. “I’m starting to get used to the idea,” he said. “But I was a wreck all weekend.”

She smiled. “I can sympathize,” she said. “I’m shocked by it myself.” She stood. “You’d better get over to the hospital. He’s going to need you there when all this hits.”

Danny nodded and stood. “Called Jim and told him to take his time,” Danny told her. “I don’t want them to get too far ahead.”

Baker nodded. “I’ll make the arrangements for the DNA test.”

 

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Danny got to the hospital just behind his father and led him to the room with Jim trailing them. They got there in time to see the orderlies wheel her out on a stretcher. When she saw Frank and he smiled at her, she stopped them.

“That is you isn’t it?”

Frank nodded. 

“Blast from the past,” she said. “They said the procedure shouldn’t take too long. Why don’t you and Detective Reagan wait in the room and keep Cora company?”

“Sure,” Frank replied. “I’ll see you when you get back.” He started to turn away and had a thought and turned back. “Just don’t die,” he said. “I’m sure someone would lose their deposit.” She laughed at the joke and he watched as she was wheeled around the corner toward the OR.

Danny gave Frank a funny look. “Inside joke,” Frank said.

Danny shook his head as he opened the door and let his father go first then followed. “Frank!” he heard Cora say as she greeted him. Frank bent to give her a hug with a smile. “How’s your father?”

“Good,” Frank replied. “Ornery but good.”

Cora laughed. “That’s what he said,” she said as she pointed at Danny from where he still stood by the door. “Come, sit,” she gestured to a comfy-looking couch under the window. “Tell me how you like being the Police Commissioner.”

As Frank moved to comply, he froze and stepped back to look at the framed photo on the hospital bed table, seen through the corner of his eye. It was a fairly recent picture of Anna with her twins. Danny watched as his father’s smile melted and he picked it up. Danny stuck his head out and asked Jim to come in for a minute. He wanted the man to witness what he was sure was about to happen.

“Who is this with Beth, uh Anna?” Frank asked.

“Those are her children,” Cora said. “Katie and Mason. They’re twins but they were born on separate days.” She looked at him and how pale he had turned. “Are you OK?”

“How old?” Frank asked in almost a whisper.

“Almost twelve,” Danny answered.

“You know?” Frank said as he looked up at his son.

“Pieced it together on Friday,” Danny replied. “I talked to her last night and she confirmed it.”

“What?” Cora asked. “Pieced what together?”

Danny looked at Cora and nodded. “My dad is the father of Anna’s twins,” he said quietly.

Cora looked from one to another as Danny’s words registered. Danny glanced back to see the surprise cross Jim’s face then disappear. Cora sat down on the couch, the confusion evident on her face so Frank sat down next to her and they began to discuss things quietly.

“This what you were talking about?” Jim asked Danny.

“Yeah,” Danny replied. “I saw the kids when they came to see her on Friday and things just started to connect.” Then he told Jim about Maria’s plan.

“Good plan,” Jim said. “What if something happens before you can get the DNA back?”

Before Danny could answer, a nurse stuck her head in the room.

Jim reached for his weapon instinctively then relaxed. The nurse gestured to Danny and he followed her out with a glance back to see that Cora and Frank were still sitting on the couch deep in discussion. He checked the time to find it was just after noon.

The nurse was out of breath and Danny suddenly had a bad feeling. “What’s wrong?”

“They were finishing and they had just closed the incision when she went into cardiac arrest,” she said breathlessly.

“WHAT?!” Danny exclaimed quietly.

“They brought her back,” she told him. “But she’s comatose. Everything went smoothly until the anesthesiologist administered the anti-nausea meds. Then, she just flatlined.”

“Have security put a guard on her room,” Danny told her. “No one goes in except police, got that?”

The nurse nodded frantically. “What’s going on?”

“I’m not sure,” he replied. “But I’m sure as hell going to find out.” He started to turn away then turned back. “Where is she now?”

“ICU 3,” the nurse answered.

“I’m going to send a guard down with you now,” he said then opened the door and spoke with Jim. Jim agreed with Danny’s assessment and headed down to ICU with the nurse.

Danny went back in the room to stand next to the door, but Cora beckoned him into the room. “Come here, Danny,” she said with a smile. “Let me tell you about your half-siblings.”

“Danny, what’s wrong?” Frank asked.

“Anna went into cardiac arrest,” Danny said. “They resuscitated her and took her down to ICU, but she is in a coma.”

Cora started crying. “And when we finally figure out everything,” she wailed.

“Not everything,” Frank said as he took her hand. “We still don’t know who’s trying to kill her.”  
Cora nodded and put her head on his shoulder. “I sent Jim down to her room until we can get some uniforms down here,” Danny said. “I’ll hang around until then to be your detail.”

Frank nodded and whispered to Cora. “Give me a minute, Cora.”

She leaned back on the couch and clutched the frame to her chest. Frank stood and crossed the room to speak with his son. “I don’t want to leave her alone,” he said. “Call Baker and have her make arrangements for a 24-hour guard on Anna’s room in ICU then have her check the backgrounds on everyone who was in that operating room as well as anyone who has had contact with her since she checked in.”

“There’s cameras in all the hallways of this wing,” Danny pointed out. “I’ll have the footage pulled for the same period.”

“Good,” Frank said. “Then get the CSU down here to get some blood from her. I want OUR people to get it. See if you can’t find someone to bring the kids here.” 

Danny nodded. “I can call Baez,” he said. “She knows where they go to school and they know her.”

Frank nodded in agreement. “And arrange for a DNA test…”

“Baker’s already arranging it,” Danny interrupted.

“You told her?” Frank asked. “Why couldn’t you tell me?”

“Because Anna wanted to,” Danny replied. “Maybe leaving that photo out was her way of doing it.”

Frank accepted that and returned to Cora’s side while Danny pulled out his phone to make the requested phone calls. When he finished, he made three more.

 

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Maria showed her ID to the guard at the entrance of the private school in Brooklyn and he directed her to the main office. It was an exclusive school and children from rich and famous families went there as well as families who just wanted the extra security that was offered. 

She showed her ID to the Principal. “Cora called me and said you would be coming,” she told Maria. “I’ll have the kids brought from their class.”

Maria nodded and looked around the room as the woman made the call. “They’re on their way,” she said. “Is everything alright?”

“I’m afraid not,” Maria replied. “There’s been an incident and Ms. Levine wants to make sure the kids are protected.”

“Our security…”

“Not like that,” Maria said. “I’m sure your security is second to none.”

“Then what?”

“There’s been something with their mother,” Maria said but before she could go on, the children were there and she knew she would have to explain it to them at the same time.

“Detective Baez,” Mason said with surprise. “What’s going on?”

“Cora asked that I bring you to the hospital,” Maria began. “Something went wrong with your mother’s surgery.”

“Is she dead?” Katie asked as tears formed in her eyes.

Maria shook her head. “No, no,” she told them. “She’s just in a coma.”

“Like in Tahiti?” Mason asked.

“What happened in Tahiti?” Maria asked.

“She was bitten by a snake,” Mason replied. “They gave her the anti-venom, but she was in a coma for a few days.”

“When did this happen?”

“Last year before we went to Hawaii,” Mason replied. He turned to his sister. “That’s why we were there, remember? So mom could recuperate. Then we came back here permanently.”

Katie nodded. “Mom will be fine,” she said determinedly.

“Then, let’s go,” Maria said with a smile to their principal. “You’ll want to be there when she wakes up.”

 

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“They told me the details in the car,” Maria told Danny in the hallway between the waiting room and the room that Anna had occupied. Frank was in there, now, talking to Abigail on the phone. “There was a poisonous snake in one of her drawers in her hotel room. One of those exotic hotels that are on the ocean and are open air. They said that no one could figure out how the snake got in the room.”

“So there was an attempt on her life before the accident,” Danny said as he watched them through the window.

“That’s what I’m thinkin’,” Maria agreed. “But there’s only one problem. Eric wasn’t with them in Tahiti.”

Danny rubbed his eyes in frustration. “Maybe he hired someone,” he suggested.

“Maybe,” Maria replied, but he had the feeling that she was about as enthusiastic about it as he was.

“I better brief dad about this development,” Danny said. “Cora wants him to escort her down to see Anna.” He gestured to the waiting room. “Could you stay with them?”

“Sure,” Maria replied. “What do you want me to do when the CSU tech gets here?”

“Stick your head in with the swab and I’ll get the sample,” Danny said. “We need to keep Dad’s part out of it until the right moment.”

“You still want to go ahead with the plan?”

“Right now,” Danny said. “It’s all we got.”

 

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The front desk had directed them to room 2320 and Danny stood outside, waiting for them.

“Danny,” Erin said. “What’s going on?”

Danny had not been looking forward to the conversation ahead. Jamie and Henry stood on either side and made Danny feel as if they were ganging up on him although he knew they just wanted to know what was going on. Eddie had tagged along with them and stood off to the side, within earshot, but far enough away to seem to be giving them some privacy.

He led them over to the window at the end of the hall. “You remember the missing week?”

“What missing week?” Jamie asked, then suddenly remembered. “You mean after Mom died?”

Eddie was still standing off and Danny waved her over. “You might as well be here for this,” he said. “You’ll find out eventually and it will probably affect you, too.”

Danny explained to her about the missing week and Erin suddenly stopped him. “Linda saw him with a woman at the movie theatre,” she told him. “The Friday before he showed up at church as if nothing had happened.”

“I remember he smelled like perfume at church,” Henry said.

“Wait a minute,” Danny stopped her. “Linda saw them?”

“Yeah,” Erin said. “You were both really worried and decided to try to distract yourselves. You left the boys with Grandpa and Nikki and me.”

“I remember that,” Danny said. “I thought the bad movie worked as she seemed a lot calmer afterwards.”

“So what happened that week?” Eddie finally asked. “Where was he?”

“Well,” Danny began. “He spent the week on a bender. Drunk.” He sighed. “In an effort to feel something besides grief, he crawled into a bottle.”

“Was he with that woman the whole time?” Eddie asked.

“That’s what she said and he confirmed,” Danny replied.

“And there are at least two Polaroids out there to prove it,” Erin told them. “It seems that’s how Linda saw him. The woman he was with asked her to take a couple of Polaroids of them in front of the theatre. She promised she wouldn’t tell anyone, but she told me a few years later.”

Danny shook his head. “Her name is Anna,” he said. “Just so you know.”

“He called every day,” Henry said. “And was drunk for at least the first three days.” He paused to think. “I don’t remember him calling on Saturday.”

“Then what was he doing?” Jamie asked as Eddie winced. Danny had a feeling she had an idea of what their father had been doing.

“Her it seems,” Danny confirmed her suspicions.

“Danny!” Henry exclaimed. “That is not appropriate.”

“Maybe not,” Danny replied. “But it’s true.” He waved them over to the window looking in to the waiting room where Maria could be seen holding Katie’s face and using a swab on the inside of her cheek. Mason stood looking on as the lab tech from the NYPD lab stood holding two already boxed swabs then took the last one when Maria had finished and slid it back into the box.

The tech came out of the room and stopped in front of Danny. “I’m guessing you know which way this is going to go,” he said as he tucked the swabs into the case slung across his chest. “But I’ll put an extra fast rush on it and have the results for you some time tomorrow.”

“Thanks, Ted,” Danny told him and slapped him on the shoulder.

“Seeing as how the orders were signed by the commissioner himself,” Ted said. “I don’t really have a choice.”

Danny waved and turned back to his family as they stared at the children through the window. Eddie found her voice first. “Are you trying to say what I think you’re trying to say?”

The others looked at Danny expectantly. He cleared his throat and swung his arms back and forth as he rocked on his feet. It was a stance he took when he didn’t want to say something.

“Why don’t you guys go on in and meet our brother and sister?” he said finally.

“That’s a long way to go for a joke, don’t you think,” Jamie put in.

“Look at them,” Danny said and pointed. “They look just like him.”

They watched as Maria spoke to the girl. The boy fidgeted, moving in much the same manner that Danny had been, but they were in awe of the fact that he looked so much like Joe. Both children were tall for their age, with the girl slightly shorter, and both toe-headed, a trait that must have come from their mother. 

“I don’t know what to say,” Henry said finally.

“Do they know?” Erin asked.

“Cora told them before you got here,” Danny replied.

“Where’s dad?”

Danny looked at Jamie. “He went down to ICU with Cora.”

“Come on,” Danny said and went in the room. “Hey guys!”

He leaned down to give them each a hug. Katie sniffed. “Cora said that mom will be fine.”

Danny nodded. “She will. Right now, I want you to meet some people.”

The two turned and faced Danny’s—and their, family. As Danny debated what to say next, Eddie stepped forward and relieved the tension by introducing herself.

“Hi,” she said. “My name is Eddie.” She turned to the others behind her. “This is my fiancé, Jamie and his sister Erin.” She gently took Henry’s arm and urged him forward. “And this is Henry. He’s their grandfather. Did you get to meet Frank?”

They both nodded. “Cora told us he is our father,” the girl said. “My name is Katie and this is my brother Mason.” She cocked her head. “Are they our family, too?”

Danny looked at Eddie gratefully and found his voice. “Yeah,” he said. “They’re my grandpa and siblings which means…”

“Which means they’re our siblings and grandfather, too,” Mason put in. 

Katie stepped forward and took Henry’s hand. “It’s very nice to meet you,” she said with a smile.

Henry looked up at Danny, tears in his eyes and a smile on his face then back to the child. “It’s very nice to meet you, too.”

 

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Cora was quietly talking to Anna as she stroked the younger woman’s hair. Her eyes were closed and she had been intubated. 

Frank was standing at the foot of her bed when he heard a commotion in the hall. He went out to see what was going on.

“I just want to go in and see how my friend is doing,” the man said with a gesture to the room.

“What is going on?” Frank asked.

“He says he’s a friend,” Jim told him as the uniformed officer held him back.

“I’m Eric Willis,” he said.

“Right now,” Frank said. “Miss Bryant is not having visitors.”

“What about Cora?” he said. “And you. And … Oh God! Where are her kids?”

“Anna is the victim of attempted murder,” Frank told the man. “Cora has been cleared. I’m here to provide emotional support as she is a friend of my father.”

“And seeing as how she saved your life not three days ago…,” he started to calm down. “I’m sorry commissioner. I’m just worried about her.”

“Good friend?” Frank said as he waved the uniform back to Anna’s door. Jim followed as Frank escorted Eric back down the hall.

“Yeah,” he replied. “Sally called me when she went to the kids’ school and was told what happened.”

“The kids are in the waiting room upstairs near their mother’s original room,” Frank told him. “Can I escort you up as I ask you a few questions?”

Eric nodded so Frank went on. “Did you know that you will be their guardian if something happens to their mother?”

Eric nodded. “I do,” he said. “Which is why I really do not want Anna to die.”

Frank looked puzzled. “I’m not sure I understand.”

“I suck at being a parent,” Eric replied. “I screwed my own kid up so bad.” He stopped to shake his head. “Bert is a greedy little screw-up. Took after his mother. She married me for my dear aunt’s money then got knocked up when I wanted a divorce.” They stopped at the elevator and he pushed the button to take them up. “Granted, I love the heck out of them, but they would be better off with their mother.” They stepped on the elevator and Eric pushed the button for the floor they needed to go to. “Or their father if we can find him.”

Frank blinked and Jim shrugged at him.

“He’s closer than you think,” Frank said as the door closed.

 

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“Seems kind of sad though,” Jamie told Eddie as the watched Erin and Henry with the children on the other side of the waiting room.

“How so?” Eddie asked.

“Those kids were born with three older brothers,” Jamie replied. “Joe would have spoiled the hell out of those two.”

Eddie laughed. “Joe sounds like he was a good brother.”

“He was,” Jamie replied. “He was the one that was the bridge with the three of us. After he died, we almost fell apart. Until we broke up the Blue Templar.”

“I remember you telling me about that,” she said. “And you’re still here. You can tell them about Joe and so can the rest of your family.”

“Yeah,” Jamie agreed. “But Joe never got to know them.” He pointed to Mason. “That kid is the spitting image of Joe at that age.”

Eddie didn’t know what to say but just gripped his hand and smiled. Then someone came in followed by Frank. The kids exclaimed and went to him for a hug. When Maria shared a look with Danny, giving him a gesture, Eddie noticed. “I’m not sure I like the look of that.” They stood to join them across the room.

“This is Eric Willis,” Frank said. “He’s Cora’s nephew.”

Henry stood from his seat on the couch and shook his hand. “Nice to see you again, Eric,” he said.

“You, too, Commissioner,” Eric said. “Frank here has been telling me that he may be the father of these kids. I think it’s great. What do you think?”

Danny gestured to Frank to follow him outside as Henry answered. “I’m not sure what to think but it’s wonderful to know we have two more members of the family.”

Jamie watched Danny and Frank step out. “Stay here,” he told Eddie. “I’ll be back.”

When he stepped out of the room, Danny was telling Frank that Eric had been their prime suspect. “What changed your thoughts?”

“About a year ago,” Danny began. “They were in Tahiti. Anna got bit by a snake in her dresser drawer and they never figured out how it got there. Kids said she was in a coma for awhile, but get this, Eric was in Chicago the whole time they were in Tahiti.”

“There proof?” Jamie asked and they turned to look at him. 

Danny nodded. “Baez checked. There’s newspaper stories about some concert he set up for a big charity.” He gestured back to the waiting room. “He didn’t get there until she was in the hospital in Tahiti.”

“He could have hired someone,” Jamie interjected.

“Yeah, but something just doesn’t feel right any more,” Danny said.

“I agree,” Frank said. “I spoke to Mr. Willis on the way up. He gave me a name without knowing it. Albert Willis. Eric’s son.”

Danny nodded. “I’ll check it out,” he said and grabbed Maria’s attention in the room. She followed and they heard him let her know the new development.

Jamie turned to watch as Erin and Eddie talked with Katie. “You know who would have adored having another little brother and sister?” Frank asked him.

“Yeah,” Jamie replied. “Joe.”

“I never seen a kid that loved being a brother like him,” Frank said with a smile as he remembered. “I ever tell you he asked us for another sibling for Christmas the year after Erin was born?”

“You never told me that,” Jamie said.

“He was more thrilled than anyone to find out that your mom was pregnant,” Frank went on. “Erin started crying and Danny, well Danny just got mad.” He slapped Jamie’s shoulder. “But they were happy with you because Joe made them happy with you.”

“Kind of makes me sad that he’ll never get to know them,” Jamie said.

“Nothing we can do about that,” Frank said. “What do you think?”

Jamie turned back to his father. “I’m not sure what to think!” he replied. “The whole thing just weirds me out.”

“Welcome to the club,” Frank said.

 

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The file was in the middle of Danny’s desk when he came into the precinct the next morning. It had a note attached that read, Got it done early. You’re welcome. Ted.

Danny opened it and the results were as expected. 99% match on both twins.

“Here it is,” Danny said and held the folder up as Maria came in with a yawn. “It’s a match.”

“We knew it would be,” Maria replied. She took a sip of the coffee she held.

“Yeah, but having the tangible proof of it in your hands just makes it more real,” Danny replied. “And more weird.”

“I can imagine,” Maria said and glanced around to see who might be listening. “They’re younger than your kids.” She watched Danny rub his eyes. “Have you heard anything from the hospital?”

“Nothing new,” Danny replied. “She’s still in a coma.”

“How’s the family doing?” Maria asked softly.

“We hung out with them all afternoon,” Danny told her. “I think they’re going to fit in just fine.”

Maria smiled. “They’re going to need you guys if she dies, you know.”

“I know,” Danny replied and handed the file to Maria. She opened it to look at the test results to find that the toxicology on the kids’ mother had been included.

“Danny, the toxicology screen results are in here, too,” Maria said.

Danny looked at her. “Something unusual?” 

“I’d say,” she replied. “There’s all the things you’d expect to find in a person who had just had surgery except one.” She paused to looked closer in an effort to pronounce it and gave up before she could even try. “I’m not even going try pronouncing this, but the note says it can cause arrest when mixed with certain anti-nausea medicines that are used with surgery.” She looked up thoughtfully “Didn’t you say that the nurse that came to tell you mentioned that it was right after administering the anti-nausea meds that she arrested?”

“Yeah, I did,” Danny said. “The question is, how’d they get it into her?”

Maria handed him the folder and sat down at her desk. She typed the name of the drug into the computer and waited for the response. It beeped and she read what had come up. “Usually, it’s injected, but it can be absorbed through the skin, too,” she said. “The chemical is harmless unless mixed with the drug.”

“So basically it was a binary poison,” Danny said.

“Sounds like,” she replied. “But who would have had the chance to do that? It would have had to have been administered a short time before she went in.”

“Cora told dad that Eric Willis had been there but left before they took Anna down to the OR,” Danny began as he thought.

“Are we circling back to him?” Maria asked.

Danny moved to his own computer and started through the video from the hospital corridor in fast forward until it got to the spot he was looking for where he stopped it to play normally. “Look at this,” Danny pointed at the screen and Maria came around to watch with him. Danny explained what he thought was going on. “There’s Eric with a young man I’m guessing is his son. Just outside the door, they stopped and the young one takes out his phone and looks at it before saying a something to his dad then shaking his hand.”

“So?” Maria asked. “What would that mean?”

“I think the kid had the chemical on his hand and transferred it when he shook his father’s hand,” Danny pointed out. “You said it’s harmless unless paired with something else. Like the nausea meds.”

Maria looked up at him. “How can we prove it?”

“See if there’s something that Eric touched right before or after he touched Anna,” Danny replied. “There’s got to be something in her room.”

“But wouldn’t the hospital have cleaned the room and packed up her things?”

“No, because Cora has been staying in there,” Danny told her. “She’s got the money to pay for it and she wants to be close.”

“Plus, she’s dying,” Maria put in. “She’ll be close to medical care if she heads down hill.” She shook her head. “But how can we prove the transfer?”

Danny rewound the video to play it again. He smiled when he saw it. “There,” he said and pointed. After Eric went into the room, Alex leaned up against the wall with the hand he had shaken his father’s with as he looked at his phone. When Danny paused and zoomed in, they could see the exact spot where his hand rested. “Have CSU send someone to meet us there.” Maria picked up the phone. “I’ll print this so he’ll know where to swab.”

 

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Baker took the envelope from the CSU courier and stood to go into the Commissioner’s office with it. “This just came,” she told him as she handed over the envelope.

Frank opened the flap and pulled the paperwork inside out as Sid and Garrett greeted her. After perusing them, Frank lay the papers on the desk and leaned back. “I take it that your suspicions have been confirmed?” Baker asked.

Frank took off his glasses and tossed them onto his desk. “Yes.”

“What suspicions?” Garret asked.

“Does this have anything to do with that woman that pushed you and Jim out of the way of that truck?” Sid asked. “The one that’s had you preoccupied for the last few days?”

“It does,” Frank said as he looked at Baker. She shrugged slightly. Frank wasn’t sure exactly what to tell the two men, so he decided to tell them everything.

“What I am about to tell you is not to leave this room,” he began and waved Baker to join them. As she sat in the other chair opposite her boss, Garrett took a position between the chairs where Baker and Sid sat. “I want to keep it out of the media as long as I can.” Frank gave them a condensed version of the events thirteen years before, leading into the events from the past week.

When he finished, Baker gave the two men a sideways look. Both looked shocked. Baker saw Garrett’s mind working on ways to keep it out of the papers and how to spin it when it did. Sid spoke his concerns aloud as he always did.

“How could she not know who you are when you’re on TV so much?”

Baker answered before Frank could explain. “Anna hasn’t been in New York enough to have caught him on the news,” she told him.

Garrett and Sid both stared at her. “You knew?” Sid asked.

“I only learned of it yesterday,” she said. “Danny told me because he needed my help to implement a plan to flush the killer out.”

“We didn’t want anyone else knowing until the family was informed,” Frank told them. “Which we did last night.”

“Are you sure she’s telling the truth?” Garrett said. “She could have just latched on to you because…”

“These are the DNA test results,” Frank said as he tapped his fingers on the papers in front of him. “I am the father of her twelve year old twins.”

 

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Cora looked disheveled and pale when he met her outside Anna’s ICU room. She stood and gave him a hug. “How’s she doing?”

“Still comatose,” Cora replied. “I’d hoped to never have to do this again.”

Danny sat down with her on the bench and she gripped his hand. “Your grandfather came by last night before they left,” she told him. “I’m so glad things have turned out the way they have.”

“Well, hopefully,” Danny replied. “She’ll wake up in time for the arrest.”

“You know who did this?”

“Maybe,” Danny said. “Your nephew, Eric. Can you recall him touching anything in the room?”

“You don’t think that Eric…” she asked incredulously.

“No,” Danny said quickly. “We think he might have transferred something to her that caused an interaction that triggered the arrest.”

She thought a minute. “The locket,” she said. “Anna had asked him to bring her a locket, but he brought the wrong one. It’s in that little drawer in the bed table. She said that locket brings back bad memories and she would rather not look at it. That’s why she put it there.”

“I’ll take a look,” Danny said. “Thanks.” He started to get up so he could leave but Cora stopped him.

“Would you come in with me?” she asked. “Just for a moment?”

Danny looked from her, to the room and back. “Sure,” he said.

Cora took his hand and he went with her into the room. Anna had all kinds of sensors hooked up to her. “Go ahead and talk to her,” Cora ordered.

Danny looked back at her. She was the mother of the children that were now known to be official members of his family. He thought about Linda and what she would have thought about everything that was going on and he had to smile. She would have remembered the encounter with them and the Polaroid and told him about it. He wiped a tear from his eye. “You know,” he began softly. “That lady who took those pictures of you and dad all those years ago, that was Linda. The wife I told you died?” He sniffed. “A few years ago, our youngest son was in a bicycle accident and spent a few days in a coma. The night before he came out, I asked my dead brother to pull some strings and do something about it.” He paused to take her hand and squeeze it. “Linda was always taking care of people. She was a nurse so it was her job, but she also loved doing it. She loved taking care of her family the most.” He leaned forward to whisper to her. “I think she’s taking care of you now. Because you’re family. And family is everything.” 

Something made him lean down and kiss her on the forehead. When he pulled away, her eyes were opened and full of tears. Danny smiled. “That’s better.” She blinked. “Told you Linda was taking care of you.”

She smiled around the tube and squeezed his hand. He smiled back and released her hand to wipe the tear from his eye. He gestured to Cora, who had both hands covering her mouth in delighted surprise. She rushed forward and hugged him before turning to Anna. Danny turned and left, alerting the nurse that Anna was awake before heading to the elevator and up to the room on the upper class floor.

Maria was with the tech trying to match up the spot where Alex had placed his hand in the video. “How’s everything down there?” she asked.

“Good,” Danny replied. “She woke up.”

“That’s great!” Maria said, noticing Danny’s teary eyes but not saying anything about them. “Cora give you a clue about what Eric might have touched?”

“Yeah,” Danny replied and went into the room. Next to the bed was the tray table with the picture of Anna and her kids still on it. Danny pulled on a pair of gloves and pulled the drawer open to retrieve the locket that Cora had said was there. The front of the locket was a porcelain piece painted with a spray of lilacs. He picked it up by the chain and let it hang in surprise.

“That it?” Maria said.

“Yeah, Danny replied. “You remember that locket that she said she got fired over?”

“Yeah,” Maria said. “What about it?”

“I think this is it,” Danny told her. 

“How do you know?”

“Well, one, Cora said it brought back bad memories for her,” he replied.

“And two?”

“This is my mom’s locket,” Danny replied. He carefully opened it with his gloved hands and showed her the engraving inside the front. To my wife, Love Francis. He snapped it closed and let it dangle from his fingers. “She gave it to a friend at the hospital where she was getting treatment before she died. Anna must have been the friend.” He stared at the hanging locket. “Somehow I don’t think Linda was the only one watching over her,” he mumbled.

 

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“We got the test results back,” Danny said as he held up the file. 

Anna had been transferred back to the room she had started in and Cora, Eric and Sally were there to express their relief at her recovery. Also there, leaning against a wall was Eric’s son, Bert. To Danny, he looked kind of uncomfortable.

“What test results?” Eric asked.

“The DNA test,” Danny replied. “We found the twins’ father.” 

Eric, briefed on the plan, played the part well. “That’s great,” he said. “Who is it?”

“A man named Frank Reagan,” Danny replied.

“Wait,” Sally wondered. “Isn’t your name Reagan?” Danny nodded. “Any relation to you?”

“As a matter of fact, yes,” Danny replied. “He just so happens to be my father.”

Bert shot away from the wall, “You mean Commissioner Reagan?”

“That’s him,” Danny said. “They’re with him now. Getting to know each other and the family.” He looked over to Anna. “If that’s OK with you.”

“Of course it is,” she said. “That’s all I ever wanted.”

Bert started to move towards the door and Maria stepped in his way. “Where you going, Bert?”

“Uh, I got a previous engagement,” Bert rambled.

Eric snorted. “Yeah,” he said. “With a pair of handcuffs.” Bert stopped and his father went on. “You failed again. You know how they say the third time’s the charm. It took three attempts on Anna’s life for them to catch you.”

“ME?” Bert laughed. “What makes you so sure I did all this?”

“Well,” Maria said as she held up a file. “While we can’t prove you planted the snake in her drawer, we can prove that you tried to run her down. We got pictures from a security camera across the street. Then there’s the drug you slipped on your hand before you shook Eric’s hand that he transferred to the locket and got transferred to her.”

“Yeah,” Danny put in. “It got transferred too many times. The strength was enough to cause her to code. But not enough to kill her.”

“I still have no idea…,” Bert started again but trailed off. He looked at Eric. “You didn’t care that mom died destitute.”

“The reason you’re such a failure is because you made the mistake of listening to her,” Eric told him. “The reason she died destitute is because she could never get past her greed and just love me!”

“So I should listen to the father who wants to give everything away,” Bert snapped.

“That’s another thing,” Maria held up the file. “We were not only able to lift the chemical from the wall, we got DNA. Eric, I hate to tell you this, but Bert is not your son.”

Eric looked at the man he thought had been his son as Maria opened the door where they could see two uniformed officers waiting. Bert didn’t look surprised.

“Get out,” he said. “I never want to look at you again.”

“Well, that’s good,” Danny put in. “Cause he’s going to be in jail for a very long time.”

 

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Anna sat on the edge of the bed waiting for the release paperwork to be finished. She had spent just over two weeks in the hospital with half of that spent in the ICU. Finally, the door opened but it was not Cora LeVine that came in.

Anna sat up as Frank stood in the doorway. “Hi,” she said.

“Hi,” he returned.

He stood in the doorway for a short time as the awkward silence washed over them. He finally stepped forward and let the door close behind him.

“So,” he said.

“So,” she smiled. She laughed and patted the bed beside her, indicating that he should sit.

“Tell me about them,” Frank said.

“They both know several languages,” she started. “Kind of easy seeing as how they’ve grown up traveling the world.” Frank nodded and she went on. “They love music and play piano and guitar. Katie plays the cello, while Mason plays the trumpet. They dabble in other instruments, but those are the main ones.” 

“What kind of sports do they like?”

“They’ve played whatever sport happened to be popular in the country we were in,” Anna replied. “But soccer is their favorite. They play it at school. And they are on a junior team in the league.”

“My youngest grandson volunteers as an assistant coach on one of the junior teams,” Frank said. “He was on the team when he was younger.”

Anna smiled. “Mason’s got a new interest since starting school though.”

“What would that be?”

“Some of the boys in his class have been taking part in soapbox derby,” she said. “He said he’d like to race at least once.”

Frank winced. “Don’t tell my dad,” he said. “He gets a little overzealous about that particular sport.”

“Otherwise, they’re normal kids,” she said. “They spend time with friends, eat too much junk, and want things they shouldn’t have. They’ve even been begging to get a dog.” Frank laughed.

“When did you start traveling?” Frank asked.

“They were still babies when Cora decided she wanted to visit Europe and asked me to go along,” Anna answered. “She hired my best friend Sally to be a nanny and off we went. Mason learned to walk in Barcelona and Katie in Paris, literally under the Eiffel Tower.”

Frank smiled. And Anna went on. “I’m sorry you had to miss so much of their lives,” she said.

“I know you didn’t do it on purpose,” Frank said.

“She didn’t,” came a voice from the doorway. Cora stood there and stepped forward to let the door close behind her. “But I did.”

“What are you talking about?” Anna asked.

“What Frank already suspects, I’m sure,” she went on. “I knew exactly who the father of your children was. I sent the private investigator, remember?”

“I remember,” Anna said. “But nothing ever came of it.”

“I lied,” Cora said. “You showed me that photo and I knew. I sent the investigator to get a sample of DNA and the test came back a match.”

“Cora, why?” Anna asked.

She sighed. “You became my family during your pregnancy. I never had children of my own, but you became the closest thing I would ever have to a daughter.” She paused and took her hand. “You depended on me and for more than just the money. You didn’t even seem to care about the money.”

“I did care about the money,” Anna said. “But only because I didn’t have to worry about where my next meal would come from or if I would be sleeping in my car or in a house. You were there to support me when I needed someone.” She shook her head. “My parents were gone. You had the emotional support that I needed. That’s why I stayed. Not for the money.”

“I know that now,” Cora said. “That’s why I signed my entire fortune over to you.”

“Wait, what?”  
“I signed my fortune over to you,” Cora repeated.

“Why?”

Cora fingered the signet ring on her right hand. “Because I’m dying.”

“I know,” Anna said. 

“How?” she asked as Frank stood and stepped aside.

“I’ve noticed that you haven’t been doing things like you used to. You seem weak when you used to be so strong,” Anna told her. “I noticed the change after the coma in Tahiti. I also know you spoke to a doctor in Hawaii. You had trips planned and you canceled them all, so I spoke to the doctor and when I showed him the directive you signed years ago, he told me.”

Cora shook her head. “I forgot about that.”

“I still can’t figure out why you brought us to New York,” Anna said.

“Because he is here,” Cora said with a gesture to Frank as he stood at the foot of the bed. “I knew you’d eventually see him on TV and recognize him.” She shrugged. “I was too afraid to tell you that I knew. I didn’t want to die with you angry at me.”

Anna hugged her. “I might have been mad for awhile,” Anna said. “But not forever. Never forever.”

Cora turned to Frank. “If she hadn’t run into you,” she told him. “I would not have met her. I would have never known what a family really is.”

“You already knew,” Frank said. “You just had to rediscover.” He took the locket out of his pocket in the evidence bag. “Do you know what this is?” he asked as he handed it to Anna.

She fingered it through the transparent plastic. “This is the locket that Mary gave me that I was fired over,” she said. “I spoke to her daughter over the phone after she passed away and tried to arrange a time to get it back to her, but she told me that her mother had given it to me for a reason.” She looked up at Frank. “It has an engraving inside with her and her husband’s name. That is where I got Mason’s middle name.”

Frank blinked. “Huh,” he said and began to chuckle.

“What?” Anna began. “What is it?”

“I gave this locket to my wife for our twentieth anniversary,” Frank told her. “My first name is Francis.”

Cora began to giggle. “It’s all your fault!”

Anna and Frank began to laugh. They were still laughing when the nurse came in with a wheelchair she stood looking at their jocularity as if they had gone mad. Finally, they wiped the tears from their eyes.

“By the way,” Cora said. “The house is yours.”

“The brick colonial out in Bay Ridge?” Anna asked.

Cora nodded. “Frank lives in that neighborhood. That’s why I pushed that area.”

Anna wiped at her eyes and sniffed. Frank and the nurse helped her into the wheelchair. Cora handed her the crutches. “I love that house and that area,” Anna said. “Even more now that I know the kids will be living near their family.”

“Your family, too,” Frank said. “It might be awkward at first but you’re their mother. You’re family.”

“Danny said that,” Cora told him as Frank waved off the nurse and began pushing the wheelchair himself.

“When was that?” Frank asked.

“Before he kissed her on the forehead and woke sleeping beauty,” Cora told him as she held the door open. “He said something about Linda taking care of her because she is family.”

“It wouldn’t surprise me,” Frank replied. “She always did.”

 

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“Is there a reason there are three extra chairs at the table?” Jack asked.

“And nobody has started cooking yet?” Nikki added.

“We’re expecting company,” Sean said. “Aren’t we?”

The grandchildren were asking so many questions that Eddie, helping them set the table, wasn’t sure what to tell them. “We are having company and they are bringing the food,” she told them.

“That’s not right,” Nikki protested. “They’re guests and they’re bringing the food?”

“Yeah,” Jack put in. 

Sean stopped them both. “Does this have anything to do with that case that had Dad freaked last week?” He asked as Frank came in the room.

“Yes, Sean,” Frank said. “Come in the study and I’ll tell you what’s been going on.”

“Is someone dying?” Nikki asked.

“Yes and no,” Frank said as he waved the kids to sit on the couch. He took a deep breath before he began. “Do you remember when your grandma died?”

“I do,” Nikki said. “I remember you took off and Mom worried herself sick.”

“I think I remember that,” Jack said. “I remember hanging out with Pops while mom and dad went somewhere for a couple hours. We played Chutes and Ladders.”

“I remember playing Chutes and Ladders,” Sean said. “I wish I remembered Grandma, but I can’t.”

“It’s OK, Sean. You were young,” Frank said. “It has to do with what Nikki said. I was… not doing well…after your grandma died and I was feeling a bit disconnected so I took off.”

“Where’d you go?” Sean asked.

“I don’t know if you kids still call it this, but I went on a bender,” Frank said. The three looked at each other.

“So you got drunk and stayed that way for the whole week?” Nikki asked.

“Most of the week,” Frank replied. “I ended up staying with a woman who got me talking and pulled me out of my drunken stupor.” He looked at them, gauging how much detail he could give them. “She saved my life then, and again when she pushed me out of the way of a truck a couple of weeks ago.”

“That’s the case that Dad was working on,” Jack said.

“That’s right,” Frank replied. “I never talked about that week while I was gone.” He paused, trying to decide how to word what he wanted to say. “I was ashamed of the way I had acted that week. I also didn’t want them to hate me for what I had done after I got sober.”

“Grandpa,” Nikki said. “You didn’t.”

“Didn’t what?” Sean asked as Jack began to understand.

“I don’t think we really need to hear about any extra-curricular activates you did with her,” Jack said as understanding crossed Sean’s face, too.

“Without going into specifics,” Frank said. “You’re old enough to know and you need to know.”

“Why?” Nikki asked.

Frank took a deep breath and said it. “Because she is coming here for Sunday dinner with her twelve-year-old twins.”

The three just looked at him, unmoving and slightly bewildered. It was Nikki’s mind that wrapped around it first. “They’re family,” she said softly.

Jack and Sean looked at her so she turned to look at them. “Grandma died in 2005,” she said. “They are twelve years old.” She looked back to Frank. “You’re their father aren’t you?”

Frank waited until the three kids were looking at him before he nodded.

“Boys?” Nikki asked. “Girls?”

“One of each,” Frank said.

“Does everyone else know?” Jack said.

“Yes,” Frank replied. “They met earlier this week. And before you ask, DNA tests were done and confirm it.” He looked at each of his surprised grandchildren in turn before he went on. “You have an aunt and an uncle and they are coming to dinner this evening.”

He could tell that they had a million questions. “I know you have things you want to know,” Frank said. “I’m sure a lot of your questions will be answered during dinner…” the doorbell rang at that moment. “Why don’t you three help me get that?”

Nikki looked at her cousins as Frank stood and headed to the door. They shrugged at each other and followed.

Frank opened the door to admit the children, followed by their mother, who was on crutches. “Cora’s chef is coming in with the food,” she told Frank. “She’ll be in in a minute.”

“In the meantime, I want you the meet the grandchildren,” Frank said. He patted Nikki’s shoulder then pointed out the boys as he said each one’s name. Then he introduced Anna, Katie and Mason to his grandchildren.

The five kids stood awkwardly watching each other then Mason perked up suddenly. “Hey, I know you!” he said with a gesture to Sean. “You help coach my soccer team!”

Katie smiled. “He does!”

“Yeah,” Sean said. “Maybe we can kick around the ball in the back yard after dinner.”

“That would be great,” Mason said.

Jack waved them in the direction of the kitchen. “Come on, we’ll show you the yard.”

Nikki smiled at Katie as the boys went off. “What kinds of stuff do you like to do?”

“I like soccer, too,” she said. “But right now I’m trying to stick close to my mom.”

“You know she’s safe here, right?” Nikki pointed out. “She’s surrounded by cops.”

“Really?”

Nikki nodded. “Tell you what,” she said. “How about you and I help bring the food in while my grandpa gets her settled in the dining room?”

Katie looked at her mother. “I’ll be fine,” she said. “There’s a retired Police Commissioner and former cop plus the current commissioner who is also a former cop. They are backed up by a police detective, a sergeant and a beat cop. I think I will be fine.”

Finally, Katie nodded and followed Nikki out the front door.

“She going to be OK?” Frank asked.

“I think she’s trying to wrap her head around the fact that she has a bigger family now,” Anna replied.

“Then let me help you into the dining room,” he said.

“Best to let me do it myself,” Anna said as she waved him off. “But you can take this.” She handed him an envelope.

“What’s this?”

“Just paying off an old debt,” she replied as she hobbled on the crutches towards the dining room.

Frank watched her, puzzled, then opened the envelope and pulled out what was inside as he was joined by Erin. He unfolded the paper and began to laugh.

“What is it?” Erin asked.

“A check for $751.88,” he replied. “Repayment in full for a loan of $500 given in December of 2005. Plus interest.”


End file.
